The Artist and his Model 1919 - 1921

Edvard Munch, in The Artist and his Model, wrestles with what it means to look and be looked at, using swathes of color that are both tender and confrontational. Look at the way Munch lays down the paint, the ochres of the floorboards, the model in blues, the artist an ominous presence in the background. There's a sense of unease in the room, a painterly dance of looking and being looked at, of vulnerability and control. I imagine Munch wrestling with his own image, how he sees himself versus how he thinks others see him. The rawness of the brushstrokes, the unfinished quality, it’s all part of Munch's quest to capture something real about the human condition. Like many artists, Munch is in conversation with those who came before, and those who will follow. He's inviting us to join him in a studio visit of his mind, to witness the messy, uncertain, and deeply human act of making art.